Race Results: May 13th, 2005

KIRKWOOD, NY - A damp Charlie Gilbert trudged from Five Mile Point Speedway's pit area to the payoff window as a steady rain doused the Kirkwood track.

"I'm glad we got our race in before the rain," he smirked.

Gilbert had good reason to thank Mother Nature. She let the Pure Stock division run its 20-lap feature - which he won - moments before a band of storms moved into the area, forcing the postponement of Saturday's Interstate Auto Parts/Country Town Auto Service Modified, Sportsman, IMCA-Modified and Street Stock features.

"It was already approaching 9 p.m. when we got that last storm," offered FMP promoter Andrew Harpell. "There comes a point when you have to pull the plug.

"We reached that point."

Rain intensified as the Sportsman competitors embarked on their pace laps. Harpell waited approximately 20 minutes before officially curtailing the program. All the qualifying events had been completed despite intermittent showers throughout the night.

In the Pure Stock event, Binghamton, N.Y.'s Gilbert stalked polesitter Scott Edwards for the first eight laps.

But Edwards made one key miscue that opened the door for Gilbert, a cagey full-fender veteran.

Entering turn one, Edwards got the left-side wheels of his No. 14 into the wet lower groove and pushed up the speedway. Gilbert zipped to the inside to take a lead he would never relinquish en route to his second consecutive triumph.

"If it wasn't for him (Edwards) making that one mistake, I don't know if we would've gotten by him," Gilbert said, crediting noted car builder and chassis man Rich Cornell for his early-season success.

Edwards finished second, ahead of a hard-charging Darl Ellis Jr., Matt Spencer and Mike Codington.

Racing resumes on Sat., May 20 with Giant Markets "Pack the Track Night" offering $1 grandstand admission. The Sportsman, IMCA-Modifieds, Pure Stocks, 600cc Modifieds, Keystone Legends and zany Figure Eights will be in competition. The IMCA-Modifieds will run their make-up feature, as well. Race time is 6 p.m.

Rain check holders from Saturday night's rain-shortened program will be admitted into the grandstand free of charge.

The remaining make-up features will be held on the following dates: Modified (June 10); Sportsman (June 3); and Street Stock (May 27).

For further information, contact the speedway office at: (607) 775-5555 or visit the website: www.fivemilepointspeedway.net.

INTERSTATE AUTO PARTS/COUNTRY TOWN AUTO SERVICE RACE SUMMARY

PURE STOCK FEATURE FINISH:
CHARLIE GILBERT, Scott Edwards, Darl Ellis Jr., Matt Spencer, Mike Codington, Ed Felker, Nate Shea, Jeremy Shaw, Joe Rafferty Jr., Larry Fenton Jr., Paul Carpenter, Steve Polhamus, Duane Codington, Gene VanAlstyne, Mahlon Shoemaker, Chuck Culverston.
Disqualified: Jamie Batzel
Did Not Start: Duane Head